PROCEEDINGS OF SOCIETIES, 43 



sideratlon of which I shall confine myself, there are three distinct 

 series or layers ; first, the inner bark or liber, called the endopMoeum, 

 which is composed of long, fibre-like cells ; secondly, the cellular 

 portion or green bark, called the mesophlceum ; and thirdly, the 

 corky envelope or epiphlceiim, which is sometimes very thick, as for 

 example the cork of commerce, which is certainly a rather unusual 

 development of the outer layer. From the inner barks are derived 

 most of the fibres used for making into cordage, matting, or similar 

 articles. One of these barks, the Lace Bark of Jamaica — Lageita 

 Lintenria, — is exceedingly beautiful and interesting, and it is more- 

 over useful to the natives of the West Indies for many economic 

 purposes. It is composed of a series of concentric layers of very fine 

 and strong fibres, which, by crossing and interlacing each other, form 

 a complete network, the beauties of which are quite hidden till the 

 bark is beaten out, and the fibres partially separated by carefully 

 pulling them in a lateral direction, when a piece of vegetable lace, a 

 yard or more in width, will be produced. This natural lace is used 

 in Jamaica for making caps, hats, collars, frills, &c., first being 

 bleached by sprinkling with water and exposure to the sim. It is 

 said that Charles II. was presented by the then Governor of Jamaica, 

 with a pair of ruflles and other articles of dress made from this lace 

 bark, and also that, in former times, the whij)s used for flogging slaves 

 were mostly made from this bark. The bark of the Paper Mulberry 

 of the South Sea Islands is another of the fibrous kinds ; it is very 

 strong and tough, and is used in the Pacific Islands for making what 

 is called tapa cloth, which serves the natives for various articles of 

 clothing. Another remarkable fibrous bark is the Antiaris Saccidora, 

 called the Sack Tree in Western India and Ceylon. The bark of 

 this tree is used for making sacks, hence its common name. A trunk 

 is selected of the requisite diameter, and a piece is cut ofi", of the 

 required length ; the bark is then soaked and beaten, loosened from 

 the wood, and tiu-ned back or inside out ; if it is entirely stripped off, 

 it requires simply to be sewn up at one end, but it is usual to leave a 

 small piece of the wood to form the bottom. In the Natural Order 

 Myrtacece, some very variable bark structures occur, for instance, in 

 the Stringy Bark Tree of Tasmania — Exicalyptus gigantea, — which is 

 toughly fibrous or stringy, while in the Iron Bark it is of such a 

 compact solid nature, and so hard, that it might be taken for a close- 

 grained wood, rather than a bark. Another very remarkable bark is 

 that of the Pottery Tree of Para. It is the Moquilea utilis of botanists, 

 and is a large straight-growing tree. A microscopical examination 

 of the bark shows all the cells of the different layers to be more or 

 less silicated. The name of Pottery Tree has been given to this 

 plant in consequence of the uses to which the Indians apply the bark 

 for making into a kind of earthenware. The bark is burnt, and its 

 ashes mixed with clay, in proportions varied at the will of the 

 operator. All sorts of culinary articles and cooking utensils are 

 made from it ; they are very durable, and will bear any amount of 

 heat. Having now brought before your notice a few barks of very 

 dissimilar structure, I will leave the matter in your hands to work 



